Combined handle and latch actuating unit



B. M. CRAIG ETAL COMBINED HANDLE AND LATCH ACTUATING UNIT Jan. 22; 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 Jan. 22, 1963 B. M. CRAIG ETAL COMBINED HANDLE AND LATCH ACTUATING UNIT Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvvmvrolgs.

United States Patent 3,074,750 COMBINED HANDLE AND LATCH ACTUATIN G UNIT Burnie M. Craig, Pasadena, and Arthur Brandes, Monrovia, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Ekco Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,596 2 Claims. (Cl. 292336.3)

This invention relates to a combined handle and latch actuating unit for use on cabinets and the like having closures operable between closed and open positions under control of latching mechanism having a lock associated therewith, either in the form of a padlock or a built-in lock.

Cabinet installations requiring a padlock or built-inlock in association with a handle, such as lockers used in schools or factories, present a serious maintenance problem in that the latch actuating member or handle is kicked and hammered or is pried with an object to exert a breaking force on the latching or lock mechanism of the locker to allow opening of the closure while the latching unit is in locked condition.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a combined handle and latch actuating unit which especially well meets the problem thus encountered in cabinet installations as noted above in that the latch actuating unit is so guarded as to protect the same from damage by kicking or hammering and in that there is no gap between parts of the unit and between the unit and the exposed surface of the closure providing entry for any kind of jimmying or prying device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a unit of the type indicated which is not only capable of effectively resisting breakage or damage by efforts to open the closure while the latching unit is in locked condition but which is also simple and convenient to operate and neat in appearance.

The various features of the invention will best be understood by now referring to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a locker having a door equipped with combined handle and latch actuating unit in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the parts of the unit embodying the features of this invention as it appears from the front of the locker shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

(FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4-4 with parts in elevation.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail taken from FIG. 4, wherein the present unit is shown in full lines to indicate position of the parts when in door locking condition and having dotted line portions indicating the relative position of parts when the latching mechanism is in door unlocking condition.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the present unit as it appears from inside the locker shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 2.

A combined handle and latch actuating unit representing preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the drawings as applied to the swinging door 10 of a conventional locker designated generally as 11. The doorway of the locker 11 is defined by a pair of spaced uprights 1-2 and 1 3. The door 10 is hinged as at 14 to the upright 12. The opposite upright 13 is provided with lugs 15 which extend into the area of the doorway for engagement with the edge of slots 15 in a vertically moving latch bar 16 mounted on the inner face of the door ltlalong its swinging edge. The latch bar 16, as shown in FIG. 5, is constrained to movement in a fixed path by the heads 17 of guide pins 18 fixed to the flange of the door 10 and extending through slots 19 formed in the latch bar 16.

A latch bar actuating member embodying the features of the combined handle and latch actuating unit of this invention comprising a slide bar or plate 20 secured by a screw 21 to bracket 22 carried by the latch bar 16 and extending outwardly of the door 10 through a slot 22 provided in the front panel of the door 10. The latch bar 16 is thus elevated from a first position as shown in full lines in FIG. 5) wherein the latch bar is operative to lock the door 10 in closed condition to a second position (as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5) wherein the latch bar is effective to release the door 10 for opening the same, by manually lifting the slide bar 20 in the slot 22. When the slide bar 20 is released, the weight of the latch bar 16 will cause the same to return to the first position thereby restoring the slide bar 20 to its first position.

Extending across the path of the slide bar 20 and toward which the latter travels during movement from [first to second position is an arm 23 of a handle secured to the door 10. A second arm 24 extending across the path of the slide bar 20 and toward which the latter travels during movement from said second to said first position is joined in spaced opposed relation to the first arm 23 by a connecting bridge portion 25 along the outer surface of the door 10. The door 10 is provided with a pair of slots 26 which receive lugs 27 forming integral extensions of the handle at one end of the latter. As is evident from the disclosure in FIG. 6, each of the lugs 27 has an upwardly directed terminal hook engaging the inner surface of the door along the upper edge of the associated slot 26 to establish an interlocked relation with the door 10. A second pair of openings 26 are provided in the door 10 which receive cylindrical dowels 27 extending from the handle along the opposite end of the latter. This interlocked relation is then made secure by the simple expedient of tightening a pair of screws 28 having passage outwardly through aligned openings in the door 10 and having threaded engagement with the body portion of the handle opposite thereto. As shown in FIG. 5, each arm 23 and 24, as Well as the bridge portion 25, are formed to provide a pocket 29 in which the slide bar 20 is confined along opposite transverse edge portions of the bar 20 and along the edge portion of the bar 20 facing in the direction of the door 10. The area of the bar 20 which is exposed between the arm 23 and 24 in outlying relation to the bridge portion 25 is provided with a laterally offset shoulder 30 along opposite faces of the bar 20 to facilitate manipulation of the bar 20 incident to operating the latch bar between operative and inoperative positions.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 22 includes a pair of vertically spaced arms 31 and 32 which straddle a stop arm 33 forming an integral extension of the bridge section 25 of the door handle projecting through a slot in the door 10. The arms 31 and 32 each have a rubber cushion 34 facing inwardly of the space between said arms 31 and 32 to deaden the noise of engagement of the arm 33 with the arms 31 and 32 as the latch bar 16 is moved between raised and lowered positions. Thus the arms 31 and 32 limit movement of the latch bar 16 as well as the slide bar 20 according to the required extent of vertical movement of the latch bar 16 between a position operative to lock the door closed and a position operative to release the door for swinging movement to an open position.

The arm 24 of the door handle is provided with an opening 35 which registers with a similar opening 36 in the slide bar 20 when the latter is in a lowered position to receive the shackle of a padlook for locking the slide bar 20 in a position operative to lock the door in closed position.

It is to be noted that the clearance provided between the slide 29 and the surfaces defining the pocket in the arms 23ai1d 2-4 as Well as the bridge portion 25 is efiective to readily accommodate relative sliding movement of the slide 2t) while restricting entry of a prying tool at the exposed junction of said sliding plate with said arms and bridge portion of the door handle. It should be further observed that to the extent of its dimension measured across the path of movement of the slide 20 that the area between the arms 23 and 24 is fully occupied by the slide 20 so as to eliminate any gap between the arms 23 and 24 which would permit access of a prying or jimmying tool. Thus, the present invention provides a'comb ined handle and latch actuating unit in which the exposed parts are so efiectively guarded against tamporing ,or abusive treatment as to render the unit virtually tamperproof.

Wh l e ke a r a la n o typ ca d s n and constrnction has been illustrated and described as a closure with which the present invention is adapted to be used, it can be readily seen that the unit might be used in conjunction with other closure structures .without departing trom the scope and spirit of this invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation of .the unit as shown and described, and acq d ns i all sl teb s m difi at n and quiva may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention claimed.

' What is claimed:

1. 'A combined handle and latch actuating unit for 4 use with a closure operable between closing and opening positions under control of a latching mechanism, oomprising a latch actuating member supported for movement in a fixed path along the outwardly facing surface of the closure between a first position for rendering the latching mechanism in operative condition and a second position for rendering the latching mechanism in inoperative condition, and a handle adapted to be fixed on said closure, said handle having a first arm projecting across the path of .said latch actuating member and toward which the latter travels when moved from first to second position, and a second arm projecting across the path of said latch actuating member and toward which the latter travels when moved from second to first position, said latch actuating member having opposite end portions thereof overlapped by said arms of the handle throughout the distance said latch actuating member extends 'from said outwardly facing surface of the closure when said latch actuating member is in either first or second position and presenting a closed surface across the area between said arms of the handle throughout the full distance said latch actuating member extends from said outer surface of the closure.

2 A combined handle and latch actuating unit according to claiml, wherein said handle arms are joined by a bridge portion adjoining the outwardly facing surface of the closure, and anfedge portion of said latch actuating member facing in the direction of said outwardly facing surface of the closure is overlapped by said bridge portion.

Rsifsr m s Cit i the 151 s t i pa nt UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,330 Kaser Aug. 26 1930 1,970,267 Bales lAug. 14, 193.4 2,033,806 Baker et al. Mar. 10, 193-6 2,188,793 Burke Jan. 30, 19.40 2,195,223 OConnor Mar. 26, 1940 2;s-1s,141 Hiler Aug. 8, 1950 

1. A COMBINED HANDLE AND LATCH ACTUATING UNIT FOR USE WITH A CLOSURE OPERABLE BETWEEN CLOSING AND OPENING POSITIONS UNDER CONTROL OF A LATCHING MECHANISM, COMPRISING A LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A FIXED PATH ALONG THE OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION FOR RENDERING THE LATCHING MECHANISM IN OPERATIVE CONDITION AND A SECOND POSITION FOR RENDERING THE LATCHING MECHANISM IN INOPERATIVE CONDITION, AND A HANDLE ADAPTED TO BE FIXED ON SAID CLOSURE, SAID HANDLE HAVING A FIRST ARM PROJECTING ACROSS THE PATH OF SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER AND TOWARD WHICH THE LATTER TRAVELS WHEN MOVED FROM FIRST TO SECOND POSITION AND A SECOND ARM PROJECTING ACROSS THE PATH OF SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER AND TOWARD WHICH THE LATTER TRAVELS WHEN MOVED FROM SECOND TO FIRST POSITION, SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS THEREOF OVERLAPPED BY SAID ARMS OF THE HANDLE THROUGHOUT THE DISTANCE SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER EXTENDS FROM SAID OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE WHEN SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER IS IN EITHER FIRST OR SECOND POSITION AND PRESENTING A CLOSED SURFACE ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN SAID ARMS OF THE HANDLE THROUGHOUT THE FULL DISTANCE SAID LATCH ACTUATING MEMBER EXTENDS FROM SAID OUTER SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE. 